OREGON — The Monroe boys co-op hockey team seems to be on the brink of turning the corner.

After a decade of occupying the bottom of the Badger South standings, the Cheesemakers (5-9, 1-6) have made a habit of staying competitive deep into games this season, and just played arguably its best game in program history.

Monroe lost to Oregon 4-3 in overtime on the road Jan. 15. It was the second one-goal loss of the year to the Panthers (8-5, 6-2), who currently occupy second place in the conference standings behind Madison Edgewood.

“It was our best game of the season. The boys played hard,” Monroe coach Barry Einbeck said.

Both teams traded goals in the first period, with Payton Stauffacher’s unassisted trick shot tying the score with 2:09 left in the frame. Stauffacher, behind the net, flipped the puck over the goal and off the back of Panthers goalie Colton Dailey.

Moments into the second period, Cooper Dreyfus gave Monroe a 2-1 lead with an unassisted goal of his own. Oregon would tie the game up with a Zack Roskos goal less than six minutes later.

In the third, the Panthers scored with just 2:05 left in the game to make it 3-2. The Cheesemakers never gave up, however, and Dreyfus lit the lamp on a redirect with just 32 seconds left in regulation. Luke Kuberski and Stauffacher assisted the goal.

In overtime, though, Oregon would take advantage as freshman Joe Roemer put a puck past Monroe goalie Heath Bear five minutes into the extra session. It was Roemer’s first career goal and points on varsity.

Bear finished the game with 44 saves. The Cheesemakers were outshot 48-23.

Monroe is currently sixth in the conference, two points ahead of winless Milton. The Cheesemakers finished one spot ahead of the Red Hawks a season ago as well. Sitting in fifth in the Badger South is Monona Grove (5-9, 3-4), two points ahead of Monroe.

The Cheesemakers were scheduled to get back into action Jan. 18 against McFarland (11-4, 5-3) at home, with a home tilt against Monona Grove slated for Jan. 22. Monroe’s remaining conference schedule includes a home game against Milton (4-11, 0-7) Jan. 31, a road trip to Stoughton (6-11, 4-3) Feb. 5 and a matchup against conference-leading Edgewood (12-5, 7-1) Feb. 7 at SLICE in Monroe.